Battery post connector



March 5, 1940.

B. A. STOCKING BATTERY POST CONNECT-OR Filed March 23, 193s "III InFig.5

5 foe 2'27 qmg Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bert A.Stocking, Denver, Colo.

Application March 23, 1938, Serial No. 197,659

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for operatively and detachablyconnecting one end of an electricai conductor, or cable, with a terminalpost of a secondary or storage battery, such as is commonly employed inautomotive vehicles,'andthe like, and has as an object to provide animproved construction and unitary'combination of elements convenientlyand efliciently operable to establish and maintain the desiredconnection.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved connectorfor secondary battery terminal posts which minimizes corrosion andcorrosive effect at the connection established thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved coacting,cam-type means in a battery post connector conveniently operable toestablish a positive, readily-releasable grip on the terminal post of abattery.

n A further object of the invention is to provide an improved batterypost connector susceptible of convenient use in cramped and restricted10'- cations, which is arranged for positive manipulation byreadily-available tools; which minimizes the probability of damage tothe battery during its removal and replacement, and which is longlived,durable, and efllcient in use.

My invention consists in the construction, ar-

- rangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointedout in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which-Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a preferred embodiment of the inventionas assembled and installed for practical use, portions of the associatedbattery being broken away to conserve space. Figure 2 is a vertical,diametric section or the showing of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a'bottom planview of the connector removed from the battery post. Figure 4 is atransverse section taken on the indicated line 4-4 of Figure 2. Figure 5is a side elevation of an alternative embodiment of the invention. I

In the construction of the improvement as shown, the connector isillustrated as comprising a cylindrical body portion l0 and a relativelyrotatable clamping member Ii telescopically associated with the bodyportion. The body portion i0 is preferably formed of suitable metal bymolding, casting, or the like, in the form of a cylinder having. adiameter. much in excess of the diameter of a conventional batteryterminal post and an axial length substantially equal to I theprojection of such terminal post above its 58 point of attachment to abattery assembly. One

end of the bodyportion I0 is traversed by an integral web or plate I2which serves to close said end of the member save as hereinafter setforth, and the other end of the body portion is recessed to form acylindrical chamber whereof the web I! I constitutes the bottom. Anintegral boss or post l3 rises centrally from the web l2 within thecylindrical chamber of the body portion l0 and terminates in the planeof the open end of said body portion, said boss preferably being formedwith an upwardly-tapered outer wall substantially parallel with thetapered conical wall of a typical battery terminal post. The web I 2 ofthe body'portion is intersected by a hole or opening ll of a sizeand'shape to telescope over and seat loosely about the base portion of atypical battery terminal post l5, which hole is carried entirely throughsaid web l2 in markedly eccentric relation with the body portion I0 andis continued as a frusto-conical bore through one side all portion andinto intersecting relation through the end of the central boss I3, sothat when the body portion I0 is mounted over and in embracingtelescoping relation with the post ii, the frusto-conical form of saidpost is accommo- 35 dated by the similar form of the bore to permitseating 01 that portion of the boss I! intersected by said bore smoothlyand in partially embracing relation against a side wall of said post.The body portion I0 is formed with an integral arm or ing it projectingradially therefrom, which arm is formed with an axial bore openingradially and outwardly of the assembly and adapted to receive themetallic core ll of an electrical conductor I 8, an opening I! beingprovided in one wall of the arm 16 in communicating relation with theaxial bore of said arm wherein means, such as solder, may be introducedto firmly fix the metal core I! in the desired telescopic relationwithin the axial bore of said arm, thus providing a firm, positive, andelectrically eflicient connection between the conductor and theconnector assembly.

The clamping member H is also preferably formed of metal by molding orcasing and is in 5 the forinof a cylinder adapted to telescope within vand freely rotate relative to the cylindrical recess of the bodyportionv l0, said cylinder being formed with an annular flange or rib 20positioned to engage against the end margin defining the cylindricalrecess of said body portion and thereby position the housed end of saidmember ll adjacent and in closely spaced relation with the web II of thebody portion, a gasket ring 2! pref-.

erably being interposed between adjacent surfaces of the flange 2i! andbody portion In to partially seal the joint formed thereby, to minimizecorrosive action at such joint and consequent sticking of the member iito the body portion Ill, and to facilitate relative rotation betweensaid cooperating members. The outer end of the clamping member H isentirely closed and is finished to a terminal, axially-disposed boss 22formed with angularly-related side surfaces adapted to be engaged by thejaws of a wrench, or similar tool, whereby said member may be rotatedrelative to the body portion iii. The inner end of the clamping memberii is eccentrically recessed to form a chamber having side walls taperedto substantial parallelism with the side walls of the battery post it,the eccentricity of said chamber relative to the clamping member beingsuch as to provide a thinner wall on one side which will not entirelyfill the space between the more adjacent walls of the battery post iiiand the body portion it, and a thicker wall whichwill more than fillsaid space between the more nearly adjacent battery post and bodyportion walls, so that, when the clamping member H is rotated to bringits thinner wall portion into the narrowest space between the bodyportion and the battery post, the connector assembly is in looselytelescoping relation with said h v post and can be freely lifted away orplaced over said post, rotation of the clamping member to bring athicker portion of its recess wall into the narrowest space between thebody portion and battery post serving to wedge said battery post againstthe central boss i3 and tightly clamp the connector assembly to saidpost. The eccentric relation of the bore id in and with the body portionit, coupled with the eccentric character of the recess in the clampingmember i i which is in turn mounted for concentric rotation in the bodyportion it, is productive of a compound cam or eccentric action whichserves to firmly and positively clamp the connector to a battery postwhen relatively moderate forces are employed to effect rotation of theclamping member relative to the body portion, while still permitting acomplete and immediate release of such clamping effect through arelatively limited rotation of the clamping member in its mounting.

Various means and arrangements may be employed to retain the clampingmember l l against axial displacement relative to the body portion it,one such means being illustrated in Figure l as comprising a slot 28circumferentially and adjacent the recessed end of the body portion it,and a pin it fixed at its inner end to the cylindrical skirt of theclamping member ii in engagement within and for travel along said slot23, an alternative arrangement operable to the same end beingillustrated in Figure 5 as comprising a Z-shaped lug 25 fixed as bymeans of'a screw 26 to the arm it so that one of its terminal armsengages over and above the rib or flange 25 of the clamping member I ito thereby limit axial separation of said rib or flange from theadjacent portion of the body member iii.

The eccentric frusto-conical recess of the clamping member ii preferablyhas a depth in excess of that necessary to accommodate the battery postit and boss it of the body portion iii, thereby providing a reservoirdisposed above said battery post when the connector is operativelyassociated with the latter, in which reservoir suit able grease orlubricant, indicated at 27! in Figure 2, may be deposited just prior toattachment of the connector to the battery post, which grease orlubricant serves to film and protect those surfaces of the assemblysubject to the corrosive efiect so commonly found atbattery postconnections,

and thereby minimize such effect, particularly in the tendency of thecorrosive efiect' to stick or bind adjacent surfaces and thereby renderremoval and replacement of conventional battery connectors difficult anddestructive of battery assemblies.

The improved connector is particularly adapted for use on automotivestorage batteries in that its design and construction permits of its useand actuation for clamping or loosening efiect in very. restrictedspaces, in that it is an unitary assembly and free from the disadvantageof loose members or elements which may be dropped or misplaced, in thatit provides positive and efflcient means for permanent operativeconnection with an electrical conductor, and in that, because ofits-specific construction and provision for minimizing corrosive efiect,it may be readily loosened from the battery post without prying,twisting, and shaking of a nature which might damage the post andattached elements of the battery.

Since many changes in the specific form, construction, and arrangementof the elements shown and described may be had without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood as being limitedsolely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any detailsof the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim asmy invention- 1. A battery connector comprising a cylindricalbody member formed with a central boss and a cylindrical recess openingthrough one end of said member and surrounding said boss, a boreeccentrically of said body member and intersecting one side of said bossand adapted to receive a battery post and thereby mount said body memherin telescoping and embracing relation with said post, a cap-typeclamping member rotatably and telescopically associated with said bodymemher and formed with an eccentric clamping ring rotatably disposed inthe cylindrical recess of said body member and thereby positioned forwedging action between said battery post and body member, and means foroperatively connecting said body member with an electrical conductor.

2. A battery post connector comprising a body member formed with acentral boss, a cylindrical recess opening through one end of saidmember in encircling relation with said boss, and bore openingeccentrically through said body member in intersecting relation with oneside of said boss to receive a battery post and thereby mount said bodymember on and in eccentric telescoping relation with said post, meansrotatably associated with said body member to clamp the latter to saidpost, said means comprising a cap-type member formed with anexteriorly-cylindrical skirt intersected by an eccentrically-disposedrecess to form a cam-type clamping ring rotatably disposedconcentrically within the cylindrical recess of said body member intelescoping relation with said post, whereby rotation of said cap-typemember acts to wedge a thicker portion'of said clamping ring tightlybetween said post and body member, a tool-engageable boss on the outerend of said clamping member, and means for operatively connecting saidbody member with an electrical condoctor. I

3. In a battery post connector, a body portion ,an eccentric skirtportion rotatably disposed in the cylindrical recess-oi said body memberin 'position to rotate between adjacent portions of 10 said body memberand post, such rotation serving to wedge a thicker portion of said skirtinto tightly clamping relation between said post and body member, atool-engageable boss on the upper end of said clamping member,an armfixed to and in radially-projecting relation with said 5 body member, anaxial bore in said arm adapted to receive an electrical conductor, andmeans for securing said conductor in said bore.

BERT A. STOCEING. 10

